Device for supporting infants while bathing



Feb. 1, 1949. v. PRIBIL DEVICE FOR SUPPORTING INFANTS WHILE BATHING Filed Oct. 17, 1946 2 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR Victor Pfiibi Z ATTORNEY Feb. 1, 1949. v. PRIBIL DEVICE FOR SUPPORTING INFANTS WHILE BATHING 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Oct. l7, 1946 INVENTOR Victor Pmbzi ATTORNEY Patented Feb. 1, 1949 DEVICE FOR SUPPORTING INFANTS WHILE BATHING Victor Pribil, Floral Park, N. Y. Application October 17, 194.6, Serial No. 703,775

This invention relates to a device for supporting an infant while bathin in a conventional bathtub or other bath containing vessel so as to eliminate the hazards of the attendant momentarily losing control of the infant with consequent shock or other possible injury to the infant due to submergence in the bath Water or accidental contact with the walls of the bathtub.

It is among the objects of the present invention to provide a rugged and durable infant supporting device which is simple in design and hence can be manufactured economically; which is efiicient in operation particularly in that when used in the intended manner it retains the infant in the desired bathing position with the infant properly and adequately supported so that the infant can be left by the attendant, if necessary, for short periods of time without danger to the infant; which can be used in a conventional bathtub or other bath containing vessel and Which provides a flexible and comfortable support for the infant, so much so, that with the use of the device of this invention the act of bathing invariably becomes a treat and joy, rather than an ordeal, for the infant and attendant both.

Other objects and advantages of this invention will be apparent from the following detailed description thereof taken in connection with the accompanying drawings in which Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a device for supporting an infant while bathing and illustrates a preferred embodiment of this invention;

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the device of Fig. 1 and shows this device in position to receive the infant; in Fig. 1 the device is shown with the infant secured thereon;

Fig. 3 is a vertical section partly in elevation through a bathtub showi g the infant supporting device therein;

Fig. 4 is a plan view of the device of Fig. l with the tapes or stringers fragmentarily shown and the lower left hand corner of the device broken away to show more clearly the association between the infants body supporting apron and the flexible mounting therefor;

Fig. 5 is a vertical section, partly in elevation, taken in a plane passing through line 5-5 of Fig. 4;

Fig. 6 is a transverse fragmentary section taken in a plane passing through line 66 of Fig. 4;

Fig. 7 is a perspective view of a modified form of this invention; and

Fig. 8 is a perspective view of a modified form of this invention, involving a one-piece frame.

Referring to the drawings, It indicates a fiex- Y 3 Claims. (01. 4-485) ible supporting frame which may be of strap steel,

tubular steel, or other flexible material, preferably a material which resists corrosion and provides a flexible support. The frame I 0 comprises two substantially U-shaped members II and I2. Each of these members comprises a lower arm I3, a connecting portion I4 and an upper arm I 5 of a length greater than that of the lower arm I3. Lower arm I3 lies in a, substantially horizontal plane as clearly shown in Fig. 3 of the drawing. Connecting portion I 4 is disposed at an obtuse angle to the lower arm l3. The upper arm I5 is disposed at an acute angle to connecting portion I4 and therefore has its extremity it at a higher level than the opposite end. The lower arms I3 of the U-shaped members II and I2 are connected by a cross bar I7 which may be riveted, bolted, or welded to the arms I3 as at I 8 to provide an integral or unitary frame having the lower supportingor anchoring section consisting of the arms I3 joined by the cross bar I I lying in a horizontal plane and an upper section extending in an inclined plane and consisting of the arms I 5 and an infants body supporting apron hereinafter more fully disclosed.

Instead of having a three piece frame in which the cross bar I! is secured to the arms I 3, a one piece frame may be employed in which, for example, a single strap or tubular frame is bent to provide the upper arms I 5, the connecting portions I4 and the lower arms I3 connected by a cross member I1, as shown'in Fig. 8.

Each of the lower arms I3 is provided with suction cups I9 near the extremities thereof to anchor the device to any desired surface, for example, the base 20 of a bathtub 2! shown in Fig. 3.

The body supporting apron 22 may be of fabric or plastic material such as the well known vinyl type coated fabric or plastic sheeting or other natural or synthetic rubberized fabric resistant to moisture. It has the marginal side edges 23, 24 formed to provide longitudinal extending loops 25, 26 for reception of the arms I5 of the U-shaped members II and I2. The marginal side edges 23, 24 may be underfolded and sewed, adhesively bonded or otherwisesecured' to the body portion of the apron 22 to provide the loops 26, 21 for reception of the arms I5. The upper ends of loops 25, 26 may be closed by sewing or an adhesive bond, thus the apron 22 can not slide downwardly on the arms I5; the lower ends of these loops are open so that the apron can readily be placed on or removed from the frame I0. Slots formed in apron 22 28, 29 are through which slots passes a tape or stringer 30 having extensions 3|, 32 extending laterally beyond the sides of apron 22. Slots 28 and 29 are disposed in apron 22 so that the tape 30 passes beneath the arm pits of the infant when the infant is placed on the supporting device with its head positioned near the top of the supporting device as shown for example in Fig. 3. A second pair of slots 33, 34 is formed in the apron 22 through which extends a tape or stringer 35 having extensions 36, 31 extending beyond the side edges of apron 22. The lower edge 38 of the apron 22 is provided with an extension 39 which may be integral with edge 38 or may be a separate member suitably secured, i. e., by sewing or adhesive bond to edge 38s This extension has tapes or stringers 40, 4| extending from the opposite side edges thereof as shown in Fig. 2.

With the construction shown the apron 22 can readily be removed from frame In simply by grasping the upper edge and moving it away from the supporting frame. The apron can then be cleaned or repaired if necessary and readily replaced on the frame whenever desired.

In the use of the device hereinabove described, the infant is placed on the apron 22, which due to the inherent flexibility of the frame In and of the material of the apron supports the infant in a comfortable position. The infant is secured in this position by tying the ends 3!, 32 of tape 33 about the upper portion of its body as shown in Fig. 1, folding extension 39 between the legs of the infant as shown in Fig. l and tying the ends 38, 3? of tape 33 and tapes 4'15 and M respectively so that a pouch or sling 42 is formed preventing the infant from sliding downwardly along the apron 22. The infant thus secured may be placed in a bathtub having a level of water therein such that it comes below the infants head as shown for example in Fig. 3. Alternatively, this device may be placed in a bathtub before or after the water has been admitted to a desired level and the infant then placed in position on the device and secured thereto by tying the tap-es as hereinabove described.

In the modification of Fig. 7, instead of the tapes 35, M], 4| and extension 38 the lower por tion of apron 22 is provided with a transversely extending member 43 of flexible material having spaced desirably circular openings 44, 45 therein.

Member 23 may be of the same rubberized material as apron 22. The ends of member 43 are secured to the lateral sides of apron 22 for example by an adhesive bond which is waterproof and the intermediate portion '16 is movablerelative to apron 22 so that the legs of the infant may be passed between member 43 and apron 22 through the openings 44, 45. The forward edge of member 43 is secured to the forward edge of apron 22, as by an adhesive or other bond; then when the apron 22 is removed from the frame, member 43 is removed concurrently. The elasticity of member 43 retains the lower portion of the body of the infant in desired positon on apron 22, the upper portion of the infants body being secured to the supporting apron 22 by the tape 38 as in the modification of Fig. 1.

It will be noted, the present invention provides an infant bathing device which is simple in design, rugged and durable, can be manufactured at low cost, which when used in the intended manner maintains the infant in the desired position with the infant properly and adequately supported so that the infant can be left by the attendant for short periods of time without danporting ger to the infant, which adequately and comfortably supports the infant, including its back, and which can be used in any conventional bathtub or other bath containing vessel.

The device of this invention eliminates the necessity for the attendant holding the infant with one hand while bathing the infant with the other, thereby eliminating the ever present danger the infant might slip from the hand holding it. With this invention both hands of the attendant are left free to bathe the infant which is safely maintained in the bath.

Since different embodiments of the invention could be made without departing from the scope of this invention, it is intended that all matter contained in the above description or shown in the accompanying drawings shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

What is claimed is:

1. An infants support adapted for use in supporting an infant while bathing, comprising a frame consisting of a pair of straps disposed in spaced relationship, each strap comprising a lower section lying in a horizontal plane, a short connecting section at an obtuse angle to the lower section and an upper section longer than the lower section, inclined upwardly from the lower section and providing a flexible support, a cross bar connecting the lower sections to maintain them in fixed spaced position relative to each other, suction cups near the opposite ends of the lower sections, a body supporting apron extending between the upper section, detachably secured thereto and bridging the space therebetween to provide a support for the body of the infant, tapes extending from the opposite sides of said body supporting apron near the upper end thereof and adapted to be secured about the body of the infant beneath the arms, a member extending from the lower end of said apron adapted to be folded between the legs of an infant and having tapes thereon and tapes extending from the opposite sides of the apron near the lower end thereof and adapted to be secured to said tapes on said member to maintain the lower portion of the body of the infant on said apron.

2. A device for supporting an infant while bathing, said device adapted to be placed in a conventional bathtub and comprising a frame consisting of a lower section formed from two arms connected by a crossbar in fixed spaced relationship, an upper section inclined upwardly away from said lower section and consisting of two arms of flexible material in spaced relationship, said upper section comprising a body supmember bridging the space between said two arms of flexible material and forming a flexible cradle support for the back of the infant, and means on said body supporting member for passing between the legs of the infant to restrain the infant from sliding downwardly and for securely maintaining the infant thereon with the back of the infant resting on said body supporting member leaving the person bathing the infant free to use both hands to bathe the infant.

3. A device for supporting an infant while bathing, said device adapted to be placed in a conventional bathtub and comprising a frame consisting of a lower section comprising two arms in fixed spaced relationship connected by a crossbar, an upper section inclined upwardly away from said lower section consisting of two arms of flexible material disposed in spaced relationship, a body supporting apron detachably secured to said two arms of said upper section bridging the space therebetween and forming a cradle support for the back of the infant, said body suppom n g apron having an extension on the forward edge portion thereof adapted to be passed between the legs of the infant, means for securing the said extension in position between the legs of the infant to maintain the lower portion of the body of the infant on said apron, and means on the apron for securing the upper portion of the body of the infant thereon with the back of the infant resting on the supporting apron leaving the person bathing the infant free to useib h hands in so doing. r

VICTOR PRIBIL.

6 REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS 

